The present invention is for a water driven roller massager, and more particularly for a water driven roller massager suitable for mounting in an opening in the wall of a spa, and for a method for the function of the massager.
Water driven massagers are known and one such massager is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,198,544 issued Sep. 19, 1916 for “Vibrator.” The vibrator of the '544 patent utilizes an unbalanced rotor driven by a stream of water, which water then passes outwardly through a screen on the face of the rotor. U.S. Pat. No. 1,948,167 issued Feb. 20, 1934 for “Vibrating Device,” shows a vibrator which also uses an eccentric rotor, which is turned by a jet of water.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,313,432 issued Feb. 2, 1982 for “Water driven personal massager,” teaches a water driven personal massager, which directs a stream of water against an eccentrically weighted turbine. Water passes through a hose to a hand holdable massager, drives a vibrating member, and passes outwardly through holes in the body of the massager.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,387,063 issued May 14, 2002 for “Vertically-Oscillating Spa Massager,” describes a mechanism for converting a flow of water into rotational motion of a turbine, and rotational motion of the turbine into vertically-oscillating motion of a massager. U.S. Pat. No. 6,641,548 issued Nov. 4, 2003 for “Water Driven Vibrating Massager,” teaches a water driven massager mountable to a spa wall, the massager having an eccentrically weighted turbine, the massager being adapted to replace a standard water jet. Although the oscillating and vibrating massagers taught by the '063 and ″548 patents provide a vibrating massage desired by many users, some users prefer a rotating massager.
A rotating massager preferably includes a drive mechanism to reduce a turbine Revolutions Per Minute (RPM) to a slower massager RPM, thus adding to the complexity of the design. Also, due to the environment spas typically are used in (for example, outside) it is common for foreign matter to enter the turbine, which may jam the massager and require service. In order to provide an economically serviceable massager (e.g., to repair a drive mechanism or clear a jammed turbine), it is desirable to provide a unitized design that may be removed for service without accessing the rear (or outside) of a spa wall. The combination of these features is not available in known massagers.